


The Monster Next Door

by NebulaStep



Series: Sanders Sides Pokemon!AU [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Being Trapped, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Pokemon Related Violence, Pokemon!AU, Pokemon!Deceit, Pokemon!Remus, Pokemon!Sides, Remus being Remus, Sympathetic Deceit, Sympathetic Remus, and sharp objects., mentions of experimentation, some denial, tranqualization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-11 11:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19927078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NebulaStep/pseuds/NebulaStep
Summary: Pokemon!AUA mysterious organization's star performer sat alone, until he heard a new arrival being brought in. Efforts to entertain himself don't go as planned, but somehow go better than expected.A story of strange Pokemon finding each other in a strange, stressful place. A story of growth.Otherwise known as  “How a giant snake Pokemon learned to get along with a stinky puffball.”





	The Monster Next Door

There is a building on the outskirts of a city, maybe a mile out, if calculated. It is owned by Ogimiri, a publicly traded organization and business that has the trappings of legitimacy, if only because everyone believes in it at once.

The room of their star performer was a 10ftx10ftx10ft cube. They felt the size would suffice for their top earner, especially since he did not need the extra room anymore, but in reality, it barely fit him, not that he could complain much. Most of his kind did not even get a room to reside in most of the time. Most get Pokeballs. Some get cages, which is never a good sign. On top of all that, most people did not know he existed. Who could he complain to?

If one were to to look inside the cube, you could see the Serperior as he usually was; alone. He was curled up and looking at the small window his room has with a look in his mismatched eyes that indicated he was plotting. That’s how the organization liked him; sitting and plotting until he was needed. He was good at that.

It was during a session like this that a crashing sound from down the hall caught his attention.

Near “the cube” was another room filled with equipment and cages. The cages in this room tended to hold strange specimens, as did the wing they were in in general. Connecting these two rooms was a series of air vents, not big enough for a human but certainly big enough for the width of his body (the cover of this airvent was loose, too). The long, serpentine form of the star performer slithered through the maze easily, and he found himself staring at the series of cages, as well as a series of scientists crowded around a table, clearly struggling with something, with one scientist holding a needle in his hand.

_A new subject that doesn’t want to be tagged,_ he thought, already bored and ready to double back. That was until he heard a nasally voice-

“YOU GUYS ARE A LOT OF FUN! I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY FUN TOYS IN MY LIFE!!!”

The being in the vents took a second to realize that was, in fact, the Pokemon talking (not that the scientists were any the wiser). As this realization came to fruition, the source of the voice broke free and started running around.

_An Igglybuff? A strange thing to put in this wing._

The wayward Igglybuff immediately started bouncing around and grabbing at various sharp objects, saying things like “WHAT DOES THIS DO? CAN I PLAY WITH THIS? WHAT ABOUT THIS??!”

It took the scientists present a solid seven minutes to grab the Igglybuff, insert the tag, lose him again, and then corral him into a nearby cage, and snapping the electric lock closed.

All the while, the serpent in the vents watched with a smile.

____

“That was a good show you put on.”

The dark pink Igglybuff looked around, clearly confused. After all, the scientists had long since left. The serpent couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Up here.”  
  


The other creature eventually trained his eyes on the vent cover and squinted at the serpents face obscured in the darkness “Who are you?”

The serpent smirked and cocked his head in a way that the light would catch his ‘odd’ eye and make it glint “Oh, just the monster who lives next door.” The serpent then smiled enough to show off his sharp teeth. “I heard the noises and was wondering what snack the scientists had brought me.” He looked up, paused and hummed a bit before continuing. “You know, I rarely get to see the humans around here sweat as much as you just made them do. It made me even more _excited_ to meet you.” He stared back down at the small creature below, showing his fangs fully in his widest grin face on, this time closer to the grating, allowing the igglybuff to see the serpent’s face.

The Igglybuff’s pupils widened for a second before he looked down and covered his mouth and started shaking. Before the serpent could wonder if the Igglybuff was crying, the unmistakable sound of giggling, then full on laughing erupted from the cage below. The Igglybuff than starting rolling around the cage consumed by mirth.

The serpent quirked one eye, looking a bit miffed “ I did just threaten to eat you, you know.”

The Igglybuff managed to regain his footing and wipe his eyes, which had started to tear “Snack.. hehehe… SNACK… _oh you are funny_ _ **Mr. Monster**_.”

The serpent frowned a bit more, “Funny? How so?”

The Igglybuff shrugged “Oh I don’t know. Just… funny… that the capstone of this day is being eaten by a _monster._ It just would be _perfect_.” He clapped his paws together and burst into hysterics again, tears streaming down his face. “Yep, just _PERFECT_!”

The Serperior was about to ask more when he heard noise from down the hall. He listened closer and realized it was footsteps coming closer to the lab. “Word to the wise, I would be quiet if I were you. It’s nighttime, and they don’t tolerate those who stay up to late.” The serpent then slithered backwards to his room. He heard commotion from the lab, then silence.

___

“So, back again Mr. Monster?”

“I was wondering how my snack fared since last night.”

“Hehehe… they gave me an injection of something. Knocked me out like a light. They also brought me somewhere and stuck a bunch of things to me and gave me things to attack, as well as stuck me with some other injections.”

“They are making sure you are nice and fit.”

“…hehe… for what?”

“…Who knows… maybe for me…”

“Hehehe… did you hear anything from anyone about me? Maybe rumors that they will use those shiny toys over there?”

“…Someone called you the Duke.”

“Hehe… humans called me that… back in the forest…”

“So you were a forest dweller?”

“Yes.”

“Is there something about you that is particularly special?”

“… Not me, but my mom could shoot ice from her paws. Humans who watched us before always got super excited!”

“The tests must have something to do with that then.”

“Hehe…hehehehe…”

“What are you laughing at?”

“I thought I was here to feed y-”

“You will be if you don’t shut up”

“HEHEHE! You see, this is what I like about you, _Mr. Monster_! Always interesting! HEHEHAHAHA!!!!”

“You need to be quie-…”

_STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP_

“OH, THE HUMANS WANT TO JOIN! LETS HAVE SOME FUN! MAYBE THEY WILL MUTILATE US IN THE MOONLIGHT! HAHAHA! HOW EXCITING!”

“Are you mad?! Stay quiet you fool!”  
  


  
“LET THEM COME!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!”

___

“…Mr. Monster? You there?…. Mr. Monster?”

“…hm”

“You’ve been gone for awhile. I thought you grew bored.”

“…I’ve been… away…”

“Hehehe. You sound strained Mr. Monster. Are you alright?”

“…”

“Hehehe. Okay, okay, I get it. What’s the word I’ve heard so much? Classified? Also, I am not sure the answer you would give would be honest anyway.”

“…perhaps…”

“Well, I am glad I am still _exciting_ enough for you.”

“…”

“Well, since you have been so kind as to _grace_ me with your presence, I might as well tell you what has happened since you were gone.”

“… be… quiet about it…”

“…hehe… no promises…”

_____

“Mr. Monster?”

“…”

“I don’t want the scientists to force me to sleep, but I don’t want to stay up all night.”

“… what am I expected to do?”

“…”

“Well?”  
  


“Sing to me?”

“… _no_.”

“Oh come on. Please?!?”

“ _No_.”  
  


“Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplea-”

“ _ **Stop**_.”

“… no need to glare…”

“… if it will shut you up, I’ll tell you a story.”

“YA-”

“ _Only if you are quiet_.”

“…”

“Thank you. Now…. hmmmm….. A long time ago, there was once two brothers.”

“Were they twins?”

“…Yes actually. Their names were Romulus and Remus…”

___

_**Nights continued like this, with visits from the monster next door. They would talk about their day, and the monster would tell a story. This is how it went. Until one night.** _

___

If you were to look into the cube that contained the star performer, you would see him in his usual position, staring up at the window and plotting.

“hehe… You are a lot bigger then I thought you were…”

His head snapped towards the noise, ready to strike, when his eyes set upon Duke, at the entrance of the air vent.

“…hehe… Hello… I thought I would drop by this time.”

“… _how_?”

“I’m not sure…I really wanted to see you, and when I put my paw on the device on the cage, electricity shot from my paw!”

“No, I mean _how did you move at all_? You look like hell! What happened?”

The question was fair. While the scientists clearly took pains to heal him, the igglybuff had what looked like an instant icepack on his right eye. He also looked ragged and tired in general, and almost… _filthy_ … like he was covered in soot.

“Hehe… wanted to test me out I think… something about activating…something…” He hopped from the air-vent to the floor and winced. “They pinned me against some big, metal pokemon and kept yelling at me to 'activate my potential’… hehe…I couldn’t… hehehehe” He started laughing harder.

The serpent moved forward slowly towards the other creature, and slowly curled around him.

The Duke continued to laugh, so much that he was crying “I really needed to see you. I just…needed too…see someone…anyone…… I miss my family.. my mom… my brother…”

The serpent curled his body around the smaller creature, until someone who would be looking from the outside in would not be able to see the tiny, laughing and crying Pokemon. Duke gripped the bigger Pokemon.

As the Serperior looked down at the creature clinging to him like a lifeline, he could see flashes of other beings that used to grip to him. A lifetime ago and more recent years blurred in his mind. Someone that told him stories of fancy. Someone who shared his pain and suffering. They shared their dreams that became the serpent’s, too. Until, one day, it was all taken away. Again and again.

_Me too_.

___

When the serpent later opened his eyes (when did they close?) the Igglybuff was gone. His head whipped around the cube, looking for any signs that last night(?) even happened.

“Up here.”

The serpents eyes looked towards the window, where a fluffy black creature was now standing on the windowsill, back to the larger creature below. The one on the windowsill had pointy ears sticking up from the fur. The being was facing the sun just peaking above the horizon. The creature spoke with a familiar, sing-song voice.

“Say Mr. Monster, I never really asked your name.”

The serpent below stared for five seconds before he felt a smile grow on his face. “I have a code of course, but the humans around here like to call me Deceit, after 'my work’ if you will.”

The creature turned around looking down with wide green eyes, one fully dilated. The creature, a strange looking Jigglypuff, smiled with sharp teeth.

“Call me… _Remus_.”

**Author's Note:**

> A story I wrote when I should have been writing my other fic. What can I say, sometimes stories grab you and won't let go.


End file.
